DT 30929 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30929

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 17^th May 2025

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Kolkata. A lovely, straightforward Saturday puzzle from NYDK that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback.

After solving the very first clue, i.e. 1a, I felt that even without the first part, the wordplay dealing with the anagram, the second part ‘No square meals for sir here?’ alone would have cryptically implied that for King Arthur (sir), it would not be possible to take meal on a table here that is not ‘square’ (no square meals … here) and hence this must be his ‘round table’ around which he and his knights would sit to have important discussions and none among them should have precedence.

Although I was aware of MIG, the former Soviet fighter aircraft, even in my childhood, that is also forming part of the wordplay to the clue of 10a here in this puzzle, I found from the BRB, that the name MIG has come from Mikoyan and Gurevich, two Soviet aircraft designers.

I discovered from the net that the fantasy novel ‘The Once and Future King’, the answer to the clue of 12a/11d, was itself loosely based upon the 1485 work ‘Le Morte d’Arthur’ by Sir Thomas Malory that was first published in 1958 as a collection of shorter novels that were published from 1938 to 1940, with some new or amended material. The title, as could be anybody’s guess, refers to a legend that Arthur will one day return as king.

The conception of a Dalek, part of the wordplay to the clue of 27a, was attributed to the imagination of writer Terry Nation. Drawing inspiration from the Nazis, Nation portrayed the Daleks as violent, merciless and pitiless cyborg aliens, completely absent of any emotion other than hate, who demand total conformity to the will of the Dalek with the highest authority, and are bent on the conquest of the universe and the extermination of any other forms of life, including other ‘impure’ Daleks which are deemed inferior for being different to them.

Hegel, the answer to the clue of 22d, was a nineteenth-century German idealist. His influence extends across a wide range of topics from metaphysical issues in epistemology and ontology, to political philosophy and the philosophy of art and religion. Among the first followers to take an expressly critical view of Hegel’s system were those in the nineteenth-century German group known as the Young Hegelians, which included Feuerbach, Marx, Engels and their followers. While in Paris, Marx wrote his ‘Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844’ and met Engels, who became his closest friend and collaborator. Hegel as Marx collaborator came to me as a surprise. When Hegel died in 1831, Marx was only thirteen years old.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           Cook burned a lot – no square meals for sir here? (5,5)
ROUND TABLE: An anagram (cook) of BURNED A LOT takes to the definition of the large circular table meant for King Arthur (sir) who used to sit along with his knights all around so that none should have precedence, more particularly to have important discussions rather than to have fully satisfying meals (no square meals) on a ‘round table’ (here)

6a           State secrets in British science establishment (4)
BLAB: The definition of a verb meaning to state or let out secrets is reached from a charade of B (British) as an abbreviation for British and LAB (science establishment) as a familiar contraction of laboratory that is a workplace for the conduct of scientific research

9a           Obvious scheme to snare Independent (5)
PLAIN: The definition of an adjective meaning clear or obvious or easy to perceive or understand is fetched from PLAN (scheme) as scheme or method of acting, doing, proceeding etc to trap or take inside (snare) I (Independent) as the abbreviation for Independent

10a        Russian fighter helping diaspora (9)
MIGRATION: A charade of MIG (Russian fighter) as any of various types of Russian and former Soviet fighter aircraft and RATION (helping) as a provision, dole or helping guides to the definition of the movement of people from one place or country to another, an example of which is diaspora, that is especially used collectively for the dispersed Jews after the Babylonian captivity and now also used for a large group of people with a heritage or homeland who have since moved out to places all over the world

12a and 11 Down             Dungeon, knife etc: Arthur endlessly tortured in story (3,4,3,6,4)
THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING: An anagram (tortured) of a combo of DUNGEON, KNIFE ETC.: and ARTHU[R] devoid of the ending or terminal letter (endlessly) takes to the definition of a collection of fantasy novels by T.H. White about the legend of King Arthur

13a        Live and prosper – nothing to lose (5)
DWELL: The definition of a verb meaning to live or stay as a permanent resident is arrived at from D[O] WELL (prosper) as a phrase meaning to prosper, thrive or succeed or fare better or act prudently by doing something having taken out (to lose) O (nothing) as the letter representing naught or nothing

15a        Organ that is grasped in both hands, further back? (7)
EARLIER: EAR (organ) as the organ of hearing and balance in humans followed by IE (that is) as the abbreviated form of the Latin phrase id est meaning ‘that is’ taken inside (grasped in) L and R (both hands) as the abbreviation for left and right respectively, but also when speaking of hands, they also refer to left hand and right hand respectively that guides to the definition of the comparative form of ‘early’ denoting further back in time

16a        Puzzled out? (7)
STUMPED: Double definition; the second related to a situation of a batsman in cricket, who is out of the crease and the wicketkeeper removes the bails and the batsman is stumped or ‘out’ that takes to the first an adjective meaning confused, baffled or puzzled or someone who is stumped (out) in cricket may also feel stumped (puzzled), metaphorically extending to the general meaning of being confused

18a        Cricketers in field annoy son holding party (3-4)
MID-OFFS: The definition of fielders on the off side, nearly in line with the bowler, as in cricket is obtained from a combo of MIFF (annoy) as to annoy, offend or put in a bad mood and S (son) as the genealogical abbreviation for son retaining or keeping in (holding) DO (party) as an informal term for a party or other social event

20a        Star formula not for backward graduate (7)
ALUMNUS: A combo of SUN (star) as the star round which the earth orbits and [FOR]MULA from the clue excluding (not) FOR and placed in a backward direction (backward) as reversals in the across clue guides to the definition of a graduate or former student of a specific school, college or university

21a and 17 Down            King united there with knight: fiery monster seizing power (5,9)
UTHER PENDRAGON: The definition of a legendary King of the Britons, also known as King Uther and father of King Arthur is arrived at from U (united) as the abbreviation for united followed by a combo of THERE from the clue alongwith (with) N (knight) as the abbreviation for knight and DRAGON (fiery monster) as a mythical monster usually represented as breathing fire and having a scaly reptilian body, wings, claws and a long tail getting hold of or taking in (seizing) P (power) as the symbol for power in physics

23a        Hobbyist in a chess defeat – game over (7)
AMATEUR: The definition of a person engaging in a pursuit, especially a sport, on an unpaid rather than a professional basis, an example of which is a hobbyist i.e. a person who regularly or occasionally engages in an activity as a pastime rather than as a profession is reached from A from the clue followed by MATE (chess defeat) as a defeat in chess for the player where their king is in check and there is no legal move to block it with another piece and RU (game) as the abbreviation for Rugby Union, also known as Rugby Union Football, a popular sport around the world, played by people regardless of gender, age or size coming back or around (over) as a reversal in the across clue

25a        Men in area chasing token girl in Rome (9)
SIGNORINA: A combo of OR (men) as the abbreviation for other ranks that describe the military personnel who are not commissioned officers, IN from the clue and A (area) as the abbreviation for area preceded by or coming after (chasing) SIGN (token) as a token or indication guides to the definition of a conventional Italian term of address or title of respect for a girl or unmarried woman, either used separately or prefixed to the name; an example of one such girl being in Rome, the capital of Italy

26a        Bar showing other shows (5)
INGOT: The definition of a mass of metal, such as a bar or block, that is cast in a standard shape for convenient storage or shipment is part of or hidden inside (shows) of [SHOW]ING OT[HER]

27a        Exterminator sparing a thousand in valley (4)
DALE: DALE[K] (exterminator) as a member of a fictional extraterrestrial race of extremely xenophobic mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ‘Doctor Who’ whose battle cry, a staccato “Exterminate!” has entered common usage as a popular catchphrase, devoid of (sparing) K (a thousand) as a symbol for the prefix ‘kilo’ meaning a thousand that leads to the definition of the valley through which a river flows

28a        Posed on the go in shot like Kate Moss? (10)
PHOTOGENIC: An anagram (posed) of ON THE GO placed inside (in) PIC (shot) as a colloquial term for a picture, an example of which is a shot that refers to the single photographic exposure takes to the definition of an adjective meaning attractive or striking or having the quality of photographing well or appearing attractive in photographs, one such example is Kate Moss, the model and fashion designer whose photogenic quality is a major reason she became one of the most iconic supermodels in fashion history

Down

1d           Hitch – or thriller he directed? (4)
ROPE: Double definition; the second referring to a thriller movie that was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who was often nicknamed ‘Hitch’ that leads to the first being a verb meaning to catch, fasten or secure with a thick strong cord made by twisting together strands of hemp, sisal, nylon or similar material, an example of which is hitch, another verb meaning to fasten with rope

2d           NUT leader changed and not changed (9)
UNALTERED: An anagram (changed) of NUT LEADER takes to the definition of an adjective meaning not changed or remaining in an original state

3d           Fine arts Donne misused for hellish rhyme? (6,7)
DANTE’S INFERNO: An anagram (misused) of FINE ARTS DONNE guides to the definition of the name of the first part of ‘The Divine Comedy’ of Dante Alighieri, the Italian poet and writer that describes a journey through the nine circles of Hell, serving as a symbolic allegory of sin and redemption

4d           Million American recluse invests for old social worker (7)
ALMONER: M (million) as the abbreviation for million subject to an insertion (invests) of a combo of A (American) as the abbreviation for American and LONER (recluse) as a person who avoids the company of others or prefers to be alone, an example of which is a recluse or a person who lives retired from the world or a religious devotee who lives shut up in a cell that leads to the definition of a medical social worker attached to a hospital

5d           Really sloshed – on not as many? (7)
LEGLESS: The definition of a colloquial term for an adjective meaning very drunk, an example of which is ‘really sloshed’, another colloquial term meaning drunk or intoxicated is reached from a charade of LEG (on) as relating to or denoting the ‘on’ side of a cricket pitch and LESS (not as many) as denoting ‘fewer’, ‘not so many’ or ‘not as many’

7d           Old Italian bread surrounding duck in river (5)
LOIRE: LIRE (old Italian bread) as the plural term for lira, the Italian currency of the yesteryears that may also be referred to as old Italian bread, where bread is the slang term for money going around (surrounding) O (duck) as a batsman’s score of nought or zero in cricket guides to the definition of the longest river in France

8d           Slug covering new open space in country (10)
BANGLADESH: BASH (slug) as a bang, blow or slug having inside (covering) a combo of N (new) as the abbreviation for new and GLADE (open space) as an open space in a wood leads to the definition of a country in South Asia that is also the eighth-most populous country in the world

11d        See 12 Across

14d        Squared up? Romeo bruised me badly! (10)
REIMBURSED: The definition of the past tense of a colloquial verb meaning to settle a bill, account etc is reached from R (Romeo) as the letter represented by Romeo in the NATO phonetic alphabet followed by an anagram (badly) of BRUISED ME

17d        See 21 Across

19d        Maybe Sevillian cross is above hotel (7)
SPANISH: The definition of an adjective meaning of or relating to Spain or its people or culture, or a noun denoting the people of Spain, one of whom maybe a Sevillian, a native or resident of Seville that is in Spain is arrived at from SPAN (cross) as to cross or extend from side to side of a bridge, arch etc, IS from the clue placed upon (above) H (hotel) as the letter represented by Hotel in the Nato phonetic alphabet in the down clue

20d        First man allowed to start with Bible books firm (7)
ADAMANT: ADAM (first man) as the first man created by God and the progenitor of the human race as per the Old Testament followed by the starting or initial letter (to start) of A[LLOWED] and (with) NT (Bible books) as the abbreviation for New Testament that is the collection of books related to second part of the Christian Bible, consisting of writings about Christ and the Apostles after his death, and documents from the very first years of the Christian Church guides to the definition of an adjective meaning determined, firm, resolute or stubborn

22d        Marx collaborator in male set (5)
HEGEL: The definition of the German philosopher whose ideas influenced Karl Marx, particularly his dialectical method is arrived at from a charade of HE (male) as a nominative, accusative and dative noun for a male and GEL (set) as to set or become more solid, especially of a liquid or semi-liquid substance

24d        Ear’s twitching after ring (4)
OTIC: The definition of an adjective meaning of or relating to the ear in medicine is arrived at from TIC (twitching) as a convulsive twitching of certain muscles, especially of the face preceded by or coming after (after) O (ring) as a ring of pliable material, as rubber or neoprene, used as a gasket

There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such 1a, 6a, 12a/11d, 15a, 16a, 18a, 21a/17d, 27a, 1d and 5d; 27a being the clear winner. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to NYDK for the entertainment and to Gazza for the assistance without whose help and guidance until now I could not have come so far. Looking forward to seeing you here again. Have a nice day.